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Toi Māori

Taonga works and the oral arts – Aotearoa benefits significantly from our cultural character. Our ringatoi Māori (Māori artists) create taonga and provide the foundation for a unique national identity.

Ngā Toi Māori is made up of Māori practitioners specialising in the creation and composition of taonga works and the oral arts, such as weavers, carvers, tohunga tā moko, writers, musicians, mōteatea and kapa haka performers, composers, choreographers, visual artists, designers, waka and wharenui designers and builders.

Taonga crafted by Ngā Toi Māori provide substantial commercial, financial and cultural benefits to wider Aotearoa – benefiting everyone apart from those involved in their creation. Ngā Toi Māori is not formally recognised as an economic sector, making it difficult to argue a case for government training funding and investment.

What’s new

 

  • Toi Mai facilitated a wānanga with ringatoi Māori (including weavers, carvers, visual artists and designers) in March 2025 to discuss setting guidelines and remuneration standards for local government engaging Ngā Toi Māori. A report will be released in later this year. 

 

  • In a related sector, Toi Mai is developing a workforce development plan to help address the severe shortage of cultural practitioners for Māori and Pacific conservators and curators: Addressing cultural practitioner shortage

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